Bass – Wild Striped

Morone Saxatilis

Wild striped bass have supported one of the most important commercial and recreational fisheries on the Atlantic coast for centuries. According to early records, striped bass were so abundant at one time they were used to fertilize fields. However, overfishing and poor environmental conditions led to the collapse of the fishery in the 1980s. In the 1980s, this popular, meaty fish nearly became extinct due to overfishing. The industry responded by breeding a farm-raised version in ponds and tanks in the southern U.S allowing natural wild stocks to replenish at the same time retooling sustainable fishing practices & traceability regulations. Now the wild population has rebounded and both farmed and wild striped bass are available and sustainable.

Striped bass caught in the U.S. Atlantic with hooks and lines is a "Best Choice" because by catch and habitat impacts are very low and management is effective. This fishery is mostly made up of recreational fishers, and striped bass caught with hooks and lines is primarily sold on the Atlantic seaboard.